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CHICKPEA, SAUSAGE & KALE SOUP

Bad news, you guys. I broke my camera. Not that it's a huge loss. To be honest it was pretty much a piece of crap and it's a wonder that the pictures on this blog look as good as they do. Here's what happened. I know I haven't posted in QUITE a while and I'm sorry, but my current project is keeping me rather busy. I'm in the middle of working on the fifth season of the double Emmy-winning Bravo series Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List and my kitchen time has been drastically reduced. I have made a few dishes and even taken photos of the process and results but my enthusiasm for them dulled soon after the meal was finished and as such I did not post them. This past Friday I was finally back at the stove trying out a version of a fantastic recipe that my friend Marissa had made for me recently, Bucatini Amatricia, and I was totally shooting it, taking lots of pictures of every step. Then just as I was getting ready to plate it and take the moneyshot, I grabbed my camera off the counter but the strap had been closed in a drawer and it slipped out of my hand, crashed onto the floor and slid under the stove. The door that secures the battery had broken off and I was unable to turn it on. I was SOOO bummed. I was SOOO close. My camera was broken and then to top it all off, my version of Marissa's Bucatini wasn't as good as Marissa's.

A few days later whilst looking back at some old pics in iphoto I realized there was a dish I made that I really liked and for some reason never posted. This is one of the rare recipes that I sort of made up. I mean, it's not like I invented it or anything, but it's inspired by several recipes I saw on line as well as this soup I had for lunch one day at a nearby restaurant called Cube (although I liked mine better). So I decided that since I had the pics in the bag and I'd really liked the dish, why not post it. So, until I get a new camera and subsequently made a meal worth posting, I hope this holds you over.

INGREDIENTS

Extra virgin olive oil

4 sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

1 large onion, sliced

1 or 2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed in a mortar or spice grinder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup white wine

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

6 cups chicken stock

1 parmesan rind (optional)

1 bunch kale, stripped from the thick stems and sliced into bite-sized pieces

METHOD

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes. Crumble in the sausage and cook, rendering the fat from the meat, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook the sausage. You only want it browned on the outside. The middle will cook once the broth is added. Remove the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add the onions, carrots, rosemary, thyme, fennel and red pepper flakes, stirring to coat with the rendered fat. If it seems a little dry, add a splash of olive oil. Cook, stirring every so often, until the onions are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, toss in the garlic then cook for another 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.

Pour in the white wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Then back in the sausage, the chickpeas, chicken stock and Parmesan rind.

Cover the pot, raise the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Remove the lid again, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the kale to the soup, stirring to combine and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the kale is tender and bright green.

Taste, adjust the seasonings and then serve in wide shallow bowls showered with Parmesan and accompanied by a thick slice of grilled bread rubbed with a clove of garlic.

We all know how much I love soup and this is a great one. It's a hearty meal, but the soup itself is kind of light. Although the sausage and chickpeas are filling, the broth is pretty light, but still has some character. The parmesan rind kind of melts a little and infuses the chicken stock with a salty richness. It's a good way to intensify store bought chicken stock and of course the sausage, fresh thyme and rosemary add tons of flavor. The kale adds a nice chewy green that balances out the meat and density of the chickpeas.

The soup is best when freshly made, but it's fine reheated for several days afterward. The only thing is the kale gets a little limp and turns a sad green.

i hope this isnt bad on your post, but i LOVE kathy griffin. i have seen her live 4x. i bought my tix for her october show in chicago. i do not have cable tv but i bought the life on the D list first season. no others are available. whats up with that?! i also love your blog, although i dont comment

I LOVE your website! You have beautiful photographs and a fantastic collection of recipes. Your anecdotes are a pleasure to read, and I admire how you credit the chefs who created the dishes. (Many food bloggers do not!)

I enjoyed this post Abhishek. It was certainly creative and not what I was expecting when I clicked on the title – a title I might add, which is quite good. I know I had to find out what ways ‘guaranteed’ I could grow my list.

While the dogs were not aggressive toward authorities, they were found surrounding the couple and the coronery concluded that the victims did die of dog bite wounds. Neighbors report that the dogs have been around for years and never caused a problem in the community.

The dogs belong to a man who used to live in the area but had to move due to medical reasons. However, supposedly a friend wasasfd taking the former owner to the property to feed the dogs regularly.

The board of directors in a statement yesterday said that it will consider Lagarde and Carstens in a move “consistent with the Board decision adopted on May 20 specifying the procedures for the selection of the next Managing Director, and the applicable By-Laws of the IMF.”